Pen And Pencil Box

Abstract

A box for storing and displaying elongated articles such as pens and pencils in which an elongated flat base has a laterally extending recess in its upper surface provided with eccentrically positioned spaced holes for receiving locating pins on an article holder boss adapted to mate with the recess so as correctly to orient the article tips with relation to the box. The holder is formed with one or more resilient sockets tapered in the direction toward which the article tips are to be oriented. A transparent cover pivoted on the base includes means for receiving snap-locking bosses on the base when the cover is closed.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the prior art in order to hold elongated articles such as a pen and pencil in position on the base of a display a length of elastic material is trained through holes in a false bottom on the base to provide for receiving the articles. This arrangement for holding the articles generally is not as satisfactory as is desired. First, the elastic material does not hold the articles firmly in positions at which they present an attractive appearance when displayed. Secondly, the elastic material itself generally is unsightly so as to detract from the appearance of the display. Moreover, the elastic material has a generally short life.

In many display boxes it is desirable that the article tip be directed toward a particular end of the box. Elastic retainers do not ensure this result.

Other arrangements for firmly holding such articles in positions with their longitudinal axes aligned with the length of the base have not proved satisfactory. Many of them are complicated, inconvenient to use and are relatively expensive to manufacture. Another defect with such arrangements is that the holder is torn away from the base relatively easily if the instrument is twisted in a direction perpendicular to its longitudinal axis as it is withdrawn from the holder.

We have invented a pen and pencil box which overcomes the defects of boxes of the prior art for displaying such articles. Our box firmly holds articles such as a pen and a pencil in position on a base with the longitudinal axes of the articles parallel to the longitudinal axis of the base. Our box, rather than detracting from the appearance of the display, enhances the same. Our holder is not readily broken away from the base in response to a lateral twisting force as the article is withdrawn from the holder. It ensures that the articles are oriented with their points at a desired end of the box. It is simple in construction and is relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One object of our invention is to provide a pen and pencil box for securely holding articles such as a pen and a pencil in position on a base with the longitudinal axes of the articles extending in a direction parallel to the base.

Another object of our invention is to provide a pen and pencil box having a holder which enhances the appearance of the display rather than detracting therefrom.

A further object of our invention is to provide a pen and pencil box with a holder which is not readily torn away from the base in response to a twisting action applied to the article.

Still another object of our invention is to provide a pen and pencil box having a holder which ensures that the articles are correctly oriented in the box.

Other and further objects of our invention will appear from the following description.

In general our invention contemplates the provision of a display box for articles such as a pen and a pencil in which an elongated base is provided with a transversely extending recess having eccentrically positioned spaced holes for receiving locating pins carried by a boss on the article holder which boss and pins mate with the recess and holes. The holder has one or more sockets tapered in the direction in which the article point is to be oriented when the holder is applied to the base. A transparent cover pivoted on the base for movement between and open and a locked closed position completes the assembly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings which form part of the instant specification and which are to be read in conjunction therewith and in which like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts in the various views.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of our pen and pencil box, with the cover in its open position.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of our pen and pencil box with a pen and pencil shown in phantom.

FIG. 3 is a front elevation of our pen and pencil box.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the pen and pencil box illustrated in FIG. 2 taken along the line 4--4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of our pen and pencil box taken along the line 5--5 of FIG. 4 and drawn on an enlarged scale.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view of our pen and pencil box taken along the line 6--6 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view of our pen and pencil box taken along the line 7--7 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view of our pen and pencil box taken along the line 8--8 of FIG. 2 and drawn on an enlarged scale.

FIG. 9 is an end elevation of an alternate form of article holder which may be employed in our pen and pencil box.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the drawings our display box indicated generally by the reference character 10 includes a base 12 which is of flat generally rectangular configuration having a front edge 14, a rear edge 16 and side edges 18 and 20. We provide side edges 18 and 20 with respective pivot pins 22 and 24 adjacent the rear edges thereof. A pair of bosses 26 and 28 on the edges 18 and 20 adjacent the front edge 14 cooperate with the cover to be described hereinafter releasably to lock the box in closed condition. We provide the upper surface of base 12 with a laterally extending recess 30 located generally symmetrically of the longitudinal center line of the base. We provide the bottom of recess 30 with holes 32 and 34 spaced respectively at different distances from the longitudinal centerline of the base for a reason to be described hereinafter. Adjacent one end of the top of the base 12 we form a raised block 36 which may be provided with suitable indicia designating the name of the manufacturer or the like.

The cover of our box includes a top 38, a front 40, a back 42 and sides 44 and 46. We provide the sides 44 and 46 of the lid or cover with downwardly directed extensions 48 and 50 adapted to overlie the edges 18 and 20 of the base when the cover is closed. Holes 52 and 54 adjacent the rear of the extensions 48 and 50 receive the pins 22 and 24 pivotally to support the cover for movement between an open position and a closed position. Extensions 48 and 50 are formed with respective inwardly inclined recesses 56 each of which is adapted to receive a boss 26 or 28 when the cover is closed to provide a snap lock for retaining the cover in closed position.

Our box includes an article holder indicated generally by the reference character 58 formed with a base 60 having a boss 62 adapted to mate with the recess 30 in base 12. Boss 62 carries a pair of spaced locating pins 64 and 66 located on the boss so that when the holder 58 is correctly oriented on base 12 pins 64 and 66 register with openings 32 and 34.

Holder 58 includes an end wall 68 extending upwardly from the base 60 and provided with spaced generally circular openings 70 and 72. We provide holder 68 with a top 74 extending around the upper edge of wall 68 from end to end of base 60.

A first pair of tapered socket forming elements 76 and 78 extend outwardly from wall 68 in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the base 12 to form a split tapered socket tapering toward the end of the base carrying the raised block 36. A second pair of socket forming elements 80 and 82 extend from wall 68 in the same direction as do the elements 76 and 78 to provide a second split socket tapering toward the end of the base 12 carrying the raised portion 36.

Referring to FIG. 9 we have provided an alternate form of holder indicated generally by the reference character 84 which is similar in construction to the holder 58 but which differs therefrom in that it has only one pair of tapered socket forming elements 86 and 88 to provide a single tapered socket.

It will be appreciated that we may form the parts of our box from any suitable material which while being relatively rigid has sufficient resiliency to permit the cover to be assembled on the pins to permit the cover to snap closed and resiliently to hold articles inserted in the sockets. By way of example, the parts may be molded from a suitable synthetic resin such as polystyrene or the like. Preferably the cover is transparent. In assembling our box the flanges 48 and 50 which bend slightly outwardly until the pins 22 and 24 can be snapped into holes 52 and 54 pivotally to support the cover for movement between an open position and closed position. As the cover moves to closed position the bosses 26 and 28 snap into the recesses 56 releasably to hold the cover closed.

In assembling the holder 58 for example on the base 12 it must be so oriented that pins 64 and 66 register with openings 32 and 34 to permit the boss 62 to be inserted in recess 30. Moreover, this arrangement ensures that the holder is so located that its tapered sockets face in such a direction that articles such as a pen 90 and a pencil 92 can only be inserted with their points facing the block 36. This is the proper orientation of the articles for most effective display thereof. It is to be understood further that if desired we may employ an suitable cement for securing the holder in position.

In use of our box 10 not only will a pen 90 and a pencil 92 be correctly oriented thereby but also they are securely held in that position by the pairs of resilient socket forming elements 76 and 78 and 80 and 82. They may be withdrawn therefrom by an axial force pulling them to the right as viewed in FIG. 2. If in the course of that operation some force is exerted tending to twist the article in a direction perpendicular to its length that force will be resisted by the boss 62 in the recess 30 so that pins 64 and 66 will not easily be broken off. If desired my box may be arranged to display only a single article by using the holder 84 in place of holder 58.

It will be seen that we have accomplished the objects of our invention. We have provided a box for housing and displaying a pen and pencil which overcomes the defects of boxes of the prior art. Our box is so arranged that articles can be inserted in its holder only with their points located adjacent the proper end of the box. We so construct our holder that it cannot readily be torn away from the base in response to twisting of the articles in a direction perpendicular to their longitudinal axis. Our holder, rather than detracting from the appearance of the display, enhances the same.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of our claims. It is further obvious that various changes may be made in details within the scope of our claims without departing from the spirit of our invention. It is, therefore, to be understood that our invention is not to be limited to the specific details shown and described.

Claims

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

1. A box for holding and displaying an elongated article including in combination, an elongated base, a cover, means mounting said cover on said base for movement between an open position at which the upper surface of said base is exposed and a closed position over said base, a holder on said base, means forming resilient tapered socket on said holder for receiving said article, said socket being tapered in the direction of the length of said base, a boss on said holder, said boss being elongated in a direction transversely of said base and a transverse recess in said base for receiving said boss, pins carried by said boss, and holes located in said recess, said pins and said holes being correspondingly asymmetrically located with respect to said boss and said recess.